Home Gaming The Crew – review round up

The Crew – review round up

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Press weren’t allowed access to Ubisoft’s The Crew until the game was live. It’s been out for over a week now, so people are able to properly assess Ubisoft’s online, cross-country driving game. The Crew was released on December 2 for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Here’s what those who’ve played it think of the game.

Polygon – 4.5/10

The-Crew-Screenshot (1)

I don’t know what’s more unfathomable: how all of these shortcomings made it into The Crew, or that they’re piled high atop one of the most ambitious, masterful game worlds I’ve ever had the privilege of exploring. I’ve never seen a game deliver, dead to rights, on something that huge, difficult and elusive, then completely drop the ball on so many other basic fundamentals.

The result may very well be the most frustrating game I’ve ever played — not because of its myriad frustrations, but because of the painstaking artistry buried beneath

Eurogamer – 8/10

The-Crew-Screenshot (2)

There’s no doubt that a huge part of The Crew’s appeal is nostalgia for US road trips, whether previously experienced or just imagined. No game has mined that cultural seam quite so authentically or with such all-encompassing ambition. It’s a game that requires and occasionally enforces patience, but like all great road trips it’s about the journey, not the destination.

Joystiq – 3/5

The-Crew-Screenshot (3)

If the Xfinity-branded hypercar race a few hours in is anything to go by, The Crew is an overt attempt to capitalize on the popularity of modern car culture, and it would seem entirely cynical if not for a few redeeming design decisions. In the world of modern racing games that’s just not enough to earn a victory lap.

Gameinformer – 7/10

The-Crew-Screenshot (4)

Counterintuitively, for a game whose ostensible allure is online co-op and the ability to explore an open world, the Crew’s story (along with its car parts) might be more of a draw than you think. Despite its cliched story, following the main path does provide some motivation. It features a mix of events that include some scripted chases and moments, and the voice actors give it their best to try and make the game more than a big map. As far as road trips go, The Crew is about as average as they come. There are some fun times, but you may be surprised to discover that America is a pretty empty place.

Slant – 2/5

The-Crew-Screenshot (5)Such is the slow death of The Crew, a foundation of a serviceable racer, weighted down with the worst tendencies of AAA “added value” game design. There’s a good game buried alive inside it, and when they finally plant the headstone, the cause of death will be chiseled as “trying too hard.”

We’ll have our very own review of The Crewbisoft soon.

Last Updated: December 11, 2014

48 Comments

  1. Rock789

    December 11, 2014 at 12:10

    In the infamous words of Juan-Pablo Montoya in a practice session for the 2001 Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix – “Oh deer”.

    And no, that’s not a spelling mistake…

    Reply

    • Kensei Seraph

      December 11, 2014 at 12:49

      Nearly spurted chicken mayo all over my screen.

      Reply

      • Rock789

        December 11, 2014 at 12:51

        😉 🙂

        Reply

      • Ceyber, The Metal Rabbit

        December 11, 2014 at 12:51

        Egg mayo for me, couldn’t keep it in 🙁

        Reply

    • Captain JJ glitterati fantasti

      December 11, 2014 at 13:21

      Excellent

      Reply

  2. FSR

    December 11, 2014 at 12:11

    The more I play, the more I am enjoying this. It really does come into it’s own once you unlock a couple of perks and level up your cars. TDU2 but with more fun. The map is insane and I often just find myself cruising ‘Merica checking it out.

    Major downside: Ubisoft and uDon’tPlay. But all in all, a pretty decent online game launch IMHO

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      December 11, 2014 at 12:37

      I quite enjoyed the couple of hours I spent with the beta. I’ll probably get it eventually.

      Reply

  3. Hammersteyn

    December 11, 2014 at 12:12

    Said the one exec to another. Easy money. Racing games are a cakewalk.

    http://img-9gag-ftw.9cache.com/photo/awr6epQ_460sa_v1.gif

    Reply

    • Kensei Seraph

      December 11, 2014 at 12:18

      Cake: an item of soft, sweet food made from a mixture of flour,
      shortening, eggs, sugar, and other ingredients, baked and often
      decorated.

      Walking on cake would be harder than walking of snow.

      Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        December 11, 2014 at 12:21

        Never understood the expression myself

        Reply

        • Aries

          December 11, 2014 at 12:43

          noun
          noun: cake-walk
          1.
          informal
          an absurdly or surprisingly easy task.
          “winning the league won’t be a cakewalk for them”
          2.
          a
          strutting dance popular at the end of the 19th century, developed from
          an American black contest in graceful walking which had a cake as a
          prize.
          maybe this will help

          Reply

    • Admiral Chief BellatorMachina

      December 11, 2014 at 12:18

      Man, I’m enjoying this gif!

      Reply

    • Quo Vadis?

      December 11, 2014 at 12:25

      Whales evolved and walks amongst us now???? didn’t know, didn’t get the memo :/

      Reply

    • Guest

      December 11, 2014 at 12:25

      Free Willy evolved and walks amongst us now???? didn’t know, didn’t get the memo :/

      Reply

    • Quo Vadis?

      December 11, 2014 at 12:25

      Whales evolved and walks amongst us now???? didn’t know, didn’t get the memo :/

      Reply

    • Aries

      December 11, 2014 at 12:41

      Cant stop laughing at this

      Reply

    • Sageville

      December 11, 2014 at 13:05

      Oh cake, how you amuse us!

      Reply

    • Captain JJ glitterati fantasti

      December 11, 2014 at 13:27

      And here you see a video of Admiral at his night job.

      Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        December 11, 2014 at 13:49

        Bwahahaha!

        Reply

      • Admiral Chief BellatorMachina

        December 11, 2014 at 14:10

        Askies?

        Reply

        • Captain JJ glitterati fantasti

          December 11, 2014 at 14:18

          *askuus 😉

          Reply

          • Admiral Chief BellatorMachina

            December 11, 2014 at 15:54

            That is the fancy way of saying it, mar djy is mos vanni kap

  4. Kromas, Guardian of Cenarius

    December 11, 2014 at 12:13

    I have the need. The need for not buying this game!

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      December 11, 2014 at 12:13

      hahaha

      Reply

    • Quo Vadis?

      December 11, 2014 at 12:26

      you and me both, buddy.

      Reply

    • Rock789

      December 11, 2014 at 12:26

      Speaking of “The Need”, I’m actually listening to the “Need for Speed: Underground” soundtrack as I work… Great soundtrack. And man, I loved that game! Now that is a NFS franchise they NEED to bring back!!!

      Reply

      • Quo Vadis?

        December 11, 2014 at 12:31

        Rob Zombie, Static X, Element Eighty and Fuel made that soundtrack awesome.

        Reply

        • Rock789

          December 11, 2014 at 12:32

          Indeed! Great soundtrack for a game… Makes me wanna race! 🙂

          Reply

      • WitWolfy

        December 12, 2014 at 08:15

        Lost Prophets – To Hell we ride papa!!!

        Reply

    • WitWolfy

      December 12, 2014 at 08:14

      Can’t be worse than DriveClub, right?

      Reply

  5. Kensei Seraph

    December 11, 2014 at 12:16

    Wow I love working with skilled and more experienced developers who are actually willing to take time to assist their juniors.
    Now to go find some way to suppress the despair that comes from knowing that the developer who just helped me and has helped me extensively in the past is leaving the company.
    And here I thought he would stay for years to come.
    This means of the developers who worked on my first project, I am the only one left.

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      December 11, 2014 at 12:19

      This year I had to support a site on my own because everyone left with zero documentation. So everytime there was an issue I would start at the view portion of the site and work my way back to the controller. Learned a lot but it’s very frustrating way to learn.

      Reply

      • Kensei Seraph

        December 11, 2014 at 12:46

        Sounds similiar to my current project, although mine is not quite as bad.

        Reply

      • Purple_Dragon

        December 11, 2014 at 12:48

        Oh balls, that seems to be the biggest problem in IT, lack of documentation. Every time I join a new job I am like please can I have documents, “What documents?!”

        Reply

        • Quo Vadis?

          December 11, 2014 at 12:54

          Just blame the server. That’s what all IT people do ;P

          Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          December 11, 2014 at 13:09

          Yeah, next time I create new software I will sort that out

          Reply

  6. Viking Of Divinity

    December 11, 2014 at 12:18

    So Same as Unity then, Beautifully Crafted World… Terrible bugs…. Ubisoft Games Curse is real…

    Reply

    • Archzion

      December 11, 2014 at 12:39

      Don’t know about any bugs, got to level 50 with only one thing to say. the police are a bunch of bastards in that game.

      Reply

      • FSR

        December 11, 2014 at 13:00

        Lol, i’m 2 away from 50. Can you still unlock perk points after Lvl 50? Also experienced no real bugs, just uPlay disconnects. And yes, fuck the 5-0. I head straight for dense forest when they popo gives chase.

        Reply

  7. Viking Of Divinity

    December 11, 2014 at 12:22

    I’ll just keep Playing Burnout Paradise, Now that is a fun-as-hell arcade racer.

    Reply

  8. Quo Vadis?

    December 11, 2014 at 12:23

    My wallet always smiles when a new need for speed, forza, motogp, F1 and now, The Crew is released. Cause it knows, it stays snugly in my pocket.

    Reply

  9. Pieter Kruger

    December 11, 2014 at 12:41

    Just another Forza wannabe then?

    Reply

    • FSR

      December 11, 2014 at 12:45

      Not in the slightest. It has NoS and focuses far more heavily on arcade type racing. It’s more Need for Speed meets Test Drive Unlimited than anything else.

      Reply

      • Captain JJ glitterati fantasti

        December 11, 2014 at 13:24

        TDU2 remains the most fun I’ve had on an arcade racer with friends.

        Reply

    • Ryanza

      December 11, 2014 at 12:49

      Isn’t Forza just a Gran Turismo wannabe. When comparing both games to real life cars and tracks, Gran Turismo times were closer to real life than Forza.

      So if you wanna be my lover….

      Reply

      • Captain JJ glitterati fantasti

        December 11, 2014 at 13:27

        Well, I’ve found it a bit the opposite. While both games are pretty far from being sims, Gran Turismo cars in the newer games feel like they’re balls in a pinball machine, bouncing where they shouldn’t and having traction where they shouldn’t.
        That said, I love Gran Turismo and it’s one of the racing games I’ve spent the most time on. I’ve also only owned Gran Turismo, but the one time I played Forza I realised what I’d been missing.
        Personally the best mix of semi-sim games still remain the Race Driver series up until GRID 1, before Codemasters sold out.

        Reply

  10. Sageville

    December 11, 2014 at 13:06

    Eurogamer must be getting blaaswerk for reviews these days….

    Reply

  11. WitWolfy

    December 12, 2014 at 08:14

    Expected as much…

    Reply

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